PREFACE by Dr. NGUYỄN VI SƠN for Trần Quang Hải’s book published by NVNT & TTG (book coming out in 02.2019 in the USA)

Professor
Tran Quang Hai asked me to write an Introduction to this book about his Life
and his Work.

Not
an easy task since his life is not a mere portrait hung on a wall for anyone to
look at and describe, if one can.

Professor Hai’s life is a long road.

A long road that is.

A road which brings back the scenery of so many byways and
highways this amazing man had covered in his memorable and outstanding life.
They are the embodiment of the multi facet talents of an amazing artist and
scholar.

Being a friend of Professor Hai does not make the task of
introducing this book to the reader an easier task. There is always this
concern that the writer, being a friend may be skewed to his favor and overstate
the facts. Or on the contrary, for that same reason, being concerned of a
perception of favoritism, the writer may try to minimize the facts. But should
it be a concern?. For a man of such talent and integrity, and a body of work
which cannot be less than a rare precious jewel, under or overstatement becomes
an irrelevant issue.

To summarize it, the life of Professor Tran Quang Hai is a great
but challenging road well-traveled.

And it is traveled by a traveler who, not only is not afraid to
conquer it, he has been eager to make it fuller, better, more captivating,
albeit more challenging not only for himself, but also for people and future
generations who are going to travel this same road.

The Road is Musicology.

Not just from Vietnam where Professor Hai came from. Being born
one day in May, 1944, in the Province of Dong Nai, South Viet Nam – A region
blessed by its beauty and peaceful life, but also by its inspiring richness in
resources and popular culture – Resourceful and Inspiring as the soul of this
magnificent scholar and artist. A soul being shaped by many generations of illustrious
ancestors, giants in the field of Vietnamese Musicology with his father Tran
Van Khe being an accomplished scholar of Vietnamese and World Musicology.

Professor Hai’s road of musicology practice and musicology research
goes beyond the confines of his country of origin.

It covers Vietnamese/Oriental Music. From traditional Vietnamese
Music of all genres, to the musical background of the Montagnards in the
Vietnamese Highlands. It went on beyond borders to address the wonderful
aspects of the Musical Heritage of different countries spanning from Southeast
Asia to Central Asia to reach as far as Israel, Central Europe to Western
Europe.

Professor Hai has given over 3,000 concerts in 70 countries, and
has taken part in a hundred or so international traditional music festivals. He
has taken part in radio and television broadcasts in Europe, America, Asia,
Africa, and Australia. He has been working for the National Center for
Scientific Research (CNRS) in France since 1968, and is now retired after
working for 41 years at the Department of Ethnomusicology of the Musée de
l’Homme (Paris). He was a lecturer on South East Asian music at the University
of Paris X – Nanterre (1988-1995).

He plays 15 or so musical instruments from Vietnam, China, India,
Iran, Indonesia and Europe. Since 1966, he has given over 3,000 concerts in 70
countries, and has taken part in a hundred or so international traditional
music festivals. He has taken part in radio and television broadcasts in
Europe, America, Asia, Africa, and Australia.

Professor Hai has perfected and made us understand more The
Jew’s Harp, The Song of Harmonics, He is the greatest specialist in Overtone
Singing.

Apart from his artistic activities, he is also interested in
musical research. He has improved the technique of spoons playing and of the
Jew’s harp. In 1970 he found the key to the technique of overtone singing. The
film « Le Chant des Harmoniques » (The Song of Harmonics) which he
co-produced with Hugo Zemp, and in which he was the principal actor and
composer of the film music, won four awards at international scientific film
festivals in Estonia (1990), France (1990), and Canada (1991). He is considered
as the greatest specialist in overtone singing in the world.

Dr. Hai has written numerous articles on Vietnamese and Asian
music (New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, New Grove Dictionary of
Musical Instruments, Algemeine Muziekencyclopedie, Encyclopaedia Universalis).
He has also recorded 15 LPs and 2 CDs (one of which obtained the Grand Prix de
l’Academie de Disque Charles Cros in 1983). He has composed hundreds of popular
songs. His musical experience is very varied: contemporary music,
electro-acoustical music, improvisation, film music. He continues to preserve and
develop traditional Vietnamese music (numerous new compositions for the 16
stringed zither dàn tranh).

He has received a Gold Medal for music from the Asian Cultural
Academy, and honorary doctorates from the International University Foundation
(USA), and the Albert Einstein International Academy (USA).

Along with multiple international awards, in June 2002, he received the medal of Knight of
the Legion of Honor from the French President Jacques Chirac. In 2009, he was
the recipient of the Medal of Honor, category Great Gold for his 41 years as a
public servant of France.

He is the only Vietnamese to have taken part as a performer or
composer in such great historical events as the Australia’s Bicentenary
celebrations (1988), the Bicentenary of the French Revolution in Paris (1989),
the 700th Anniversary of the Birth of Switzerland (1991), the 350th Anniversary
of the Founding of Montreal (1992), the 500th anniversary of the discovery of
America (1992), the 600 Years of Seoul-Korea (1994), the Jubilee of the King of
Thailand (1996), the 1,000 Years of Trondheim in Norway (1997).

As I have said. Dr. Hai’s life is a long Road. A long Road
indeed – Not only for its length, but also for what has been left behind it.

For the two countries, Viet Nam and France, which are so dear to
Professor Hai, his life will always be one of a model scholar for future
generations to learn from, a symbol of pride never to fade away no matter the
months and years.

For the World, Professor Tran Quang Hai will be remembered as a
talented scholar with unparalleled character. Humble and compassionate. But call
him simply a World Artist.

This book does render justice, if in part, to
this Great Man and his Life. Well deserving to read with time well spent.

For me, Tran Quang Hai will always be, simply, My Friend. And
the Honor is mine and the joy well
shared.